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Behaviour/development

4.5 year old meal problems

5 replies

cherryapple · 07/01/2011 18:25

Hi, My dd is 4.5 and I'm having a lot of problems at dinner time everyhing that I put in front of her is yuck. She eats her breakfast cereal fine but come evening meal time she refuses. I have stopped bringing her snacks after school. Tonight she didnt eat her dinner & 15 mins later she is whinging that she is hungry I have refused to give her anything until breakfast tomorrow. Am I doing the right thing should I give her something else? I just dont know what to do any more we dont make an issue of her not eating at dinner time and I bin it after 1/2 an hour of sitting on the table. Has anyone else experienced this? any advise greatly appreciated :)

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fortyplus · 08/01/2011 00:57

Start cooking or preparing food with her - it's amazing how much more appealing she'll find it. Let her choose from a 'menu'.

We had difficulties getting ds2 to eat a decent range of foods but started having candlelit dinners every Sunday if he promised to eat his meal - we used this as an opportunity to introduce one new food each week.

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washingmachinefiend · 08/01/2011 01:11

you are doing the right thing, you are offering her perfectly reasonable food and giving her the oportunity to eat it.

If you start to offer her other food, or agreeing to something else after meal time has finished she has won that little battle.

The only alternative my 3 have had is an ever available fruit bowl, if they dont eat the meal that has been prepared for them, they can have an apple or a banana, but that is all.

The DONT starve and they DO start to eat a variety of meals. Its not perfect, ds2 would rather die than eat a mushroom and ds3 would never let a baked bean past his lips, but on the whole they eat most meals and I cook one meal for everyone. I think this is a normal part of development and it will pass.

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Foxy800 · 08/01/2011 08:15

My daughter is the same age and I could of written your post myself. We ahve tried the cooking/menu idea but she loves cookingbut noit the after bit!!!The only thing she has is a small cup of milk beofre bed, which she obviously gets meal eaten or not.
Its hard isnt it?

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ChilledChick2 · 08/01/2011 11:18

Pretty normal behaviour IME, so don't worry.

You've put perfectly good food in front of her and if she doesn't eat it that's her choice. She's at the age where she'll understand that if she turns her nose up at good food, she'll end up hungry. Kids at that age won't let themselves go hungry for long. Your could offer a piece of toast and a glass of milk instead. If she's had a good breakfast, again, don't worry and keep the fluids up.

FWIW, I always make ONE dish, eg, coconut curry and rice, for tea which I know we all like. I won't make anything else because there's no guarantee that DD (4yo) won't be deliberately fussy and waste more food, and if there's something in her food she won't eat, DD can pick it out and leave it on the side of her plate and eat the rest.